Norway will face Georgia in a crucial Euro 2024 qualification match on Tuesday night, as they aim to secure their second victory in Group A.
Currently sitting in third place with four points, Norway trails Spain by two points, while Georgia also has four points from their four matches.
Norway has had a challenging campaign in Group A so far, winning only one of their four matches. With four points, they sit in third position, just two points behind Spain who has a game in hand. To stay in contention, Norway needs to string together a series of positive results.
In their opening Group A encounter, Norway suffered a 3-0 defeat against Spain. They went on to draw with Georgia and lose to Scotland in the following matches.
However, they bounced back with a convincing 3-1 victory over Cyprus in their most recent group game. Building on their recent success, Norway aims to make it three wins in a row after their 6-0 friendly triumph against Jordan.
Norway has qualified for the European Championship finals only once, in 2000, but failed to progress past the group stage.
They haven’t qualified for a World Cup since 1998. On the other hand, Georgia seeks to recover from their 7-1 loss to Spain, which puts them on equal footing with Norway in Group A, but behind due to goal difference.
Georgia made a solid start in the group, drawing 1-1 against Norway and securing a 2-1 victory over Cyprus.
However, they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Scotland before the heavy loss to Spain. A positive result against Norway is crucial for Georgia’s hopes of advancing to the European Championship, as they have never qualified for a major tournament.
This match will be only the fifth encounter between Norway and Georgia. With three wins, Norway has the upper hand in their head-to-head record. The reverse fixture in Group A ended in a draw.
Norway’s Euro Champ Qualifying form: L D L W Norway’s form (all competitions): D L D L W W
Georgia’s Euro Champ Qualifying form: D W L L Georgia’s form (all competitions): L W D W L L
Team News:
Erling Haaland, who missed the friendly against Jordan, will feature for Norway alongside Markus Solbakken and Jorgen Strand Larsen in the attacking lineup.
Martin Odegaard will captain the side and play in midfield with Patrick Berg and Fredrik Aursnes. Leo Skiri Ostigard will anchor the defense.
Georgia’s coach, Willy Sagnol, is likely to make some changes following the heavy defeat to Spain. Anzor Mekvabishvili, Zuriko Davitashvili, and Lasha Dvali are expected to start. Giorgi Chakvetadze, who scored off the bench against Spain, will also be introduced into the starting XI.
Probable Lineups:
Norway:
- Nyland
- Ryerson
- Strandberg
- Ostigard
- Meling
- Odegaard
- Berg
- Aursnes
- Larsen
- Haaland
- O Solbakken
Georgia:
- Mamardashvili
- Gocholeishvili
- Kvirkvelia
- Kashia
- Dvali
- Davitashvili
- Mekvabishvili
- Chakvetadze
- Kvaratskhelia
- Mikautadze
- Kiteishvili
Prediction:
Despite Georgia’s disappointing performance against Spain, they are expected to show improvement in this match.
However, Norway possesses two Premier League stars in Odegaard and Haaland, which gives them an edge. We predict a close contest with Norway securing a 2-1 victory over Georgia.